www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

That's a very unusual Small Heath, Trevor - it must be verging on the aberrant. The eyespot is almost non-existent and there are no spots at all on the hindwing. A nice variation to find.

Dave

Great photos Trevor, I don't know why but there is something very soothing about the first one, and the second one is indeed interesting
Where were you on the coast?

Many thanks Dave and Katrina,
The specimen with the small eyespot caused great frustration, as it occasionally flicked it's wings open
whilst nectaring, almost fully open at one stage. Unfortunately my camera is not fast enough to catch
that sort of action.
If you had been there Katrina I am sure, with your camera, that you would have obtained something
of a Small Heath upperside. I was at Tide Mills.

All the best,
Trevor.

Good morning, Trevor.

I'd suggest your Small Heath with the reduced eyespots on the underside of the forewings is referable to ab. antiparvipuncta (Leeds, 1950). This is probably also a female as there is a tendency for reduced spotting in this sex.

Keep up the good work.

LTB next !!!

Kind regards. Mark

This morning I decided that another visit to Rowland Wood was in order to check up on the Clouded Yellows.
Whilst there I remembered that I had an appointment in Brighton at 11.00, having forgotten all about this,
I snatched a quick shot of the only Clouded seen, and another shot of a Dragon Fly which was perched in an
irresistible pose.
I then dashed over to Brighton, found a parking space, and locked the car at 10.59, I had only walked a few
yards when I spotted a Spider, apparently stationary in mid air,so I dashed back to the car and grabbed my
camera. A shot of this Spider was too good to miss.
This ingenious Spider had spun a web about 6ft above the pavement ( so unlikely to be disturbed by pedestrians )
and attached the web to a lamp post and a wall on the inside of the pavement.
So please enjoy my first ever image of a Spider ( apart from a Wasp Spider last year).

Trevor.

Just two images from what was a very windy day.

Trevor.

Good to see you still amongst em Trevor, I've hung my camera up for this season (unless something exceptional occurs)
Very nice Small Tortoiseshell photo there.

I hope we have a decent (colder) winter and a much better year for butterflies in 2017.

See you in the spring.

ATB

James

With more exotic fare on offer over the past few weeks, I have neglected the old railway, in Hailsham.
Rain has been forecast for most of the day ( at 4pm, it's only just started ), but this morning the weather
looked OK for a local trip. So it was off to the old Railway.
Apart from one White, the only species seen was the Speckled Wood, and these were found in good numbers.
They were mostly basking, but I saw about four areal duels. Some shots convey the season quite well, Specklies
on ripening Blackberries and fallen leaves. Judging by their condition and if the weather stays mild, these
Butterflies should last well into October, by which time the shops will be full of Christmas goodies !.

Trevor.

Well done for going out Trevor. Nice shots.

Many thanks Katrina. The seasons not quite over yet.
It would be nice to see you once again before it ends.
Last year we had the Long Tailed Blue to keep us going a bit longer.

Trevor.

Nice Specklies, had to double check I hadn't accidentally clicked on Neil Freemans page though!

Great stuff Trevor Let's hope they last until October - we're owed some butterfly extra time after the late, late start to the season

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Love the Speckie's in the Blackberries Trevor, I've tried to get similar shot's but they won't stay put. Goldie

Many thanks Paul, Wurzel and Goldie. The season is hanging on around here, and with the hot weather
forecast for next week, we may get some more visitors from ' over there '.
So I shall visit Tide Mills on Tues. and Weds just in case.

Today was not a Butterflying day, but when a beautiful Red Admiral lands a few yards from the car,
and the camera is in the car,it would rude to ignore it. It spent about half an hour taking moisture.

Trevor.

Nice Red Admiral, Trevor - you've captured the purplish sheen they sometimes have when very fresh. I agree with Goldie as well about the Specklies: the one in amongst the blackberries is a great shot.

Dave

With a sunny day in prospect I pondered, over my morning coffee, where to go today.
I fancied somewhere new, but at this time of year the choice is pretty narrow, and a gamble.
Then I had a great idea, Dungeness !. I have never been Butterflying there, and at about 45 miles, not too far.
The attraction of this location was a Butterfly that is quite hard to find locally, the Small Copper.
I had read somewhere that they were quite abundant at this location !
On arrival I drove around the area looking for a suitable area and was surprised at how brown the grass and flora was.
I finally chose a spot on the main road, near to the gantry where nuclear waste is loaded onto rail wagons.
I was particularly looking for Ragwort still in bloom, and when located hey presto! Small Coppers on almost every plant.
Unfortunately I found very few fresh Coopers, but at least they were plentiful, as were faded Common Blues.
I will return next year, and earlier in the season.

Trevor.

I'm so glad you managed to find plenty of Coppers, Trevor! Lovely photos, as always!

Did you also visit the central part of the estate, i.e., near the old lighthouse? From that location you can walk along the power station fence and down to the Observatory moat. I counted 11 fresh Coppers there on sunday ( all female bar one male )

Best wishes

Hoggers

WALL TO WALL SUNSHINE !

With such a super weather forecast for today ( well most of it, too hot for me PM ) I set out with Tide Mills
as my ultimate destination. The route I take passes High and Over, so I called in.
This is a good place for Red Admirals at this time of year, with a lot of flowering Ivy by the car park.
Had I found some Red Admirals on the Ivy, I would have ventured no further and returned to the car.
But it was probably too early in the day for them, so I walked down to the view point, in doing so I
spooked a Wall Brown, basking by the path. I saw it land further on and managed several shots.
It was a pristine female !, my only one this year. Over the next hour or two, four more fresh males
were found, several allowing their portrait to be taken.
It would seem that there has been a successful third brood at this location, and only the second time
I have ever witnessed a third brood. So this year I have photographed all three broods.
After all this excitement it was time to head home. I never reached Tide Mills.

Trevor.

Great shots Trevor, the only Wall I've got on record this year has lost part of it's wings, I still count it has a find though. Goldie

Hope this warm spell lasts long enough for their offspring to make it through the winter!